Concept: Our Future
by Dracoisalooker76
Summary: Thinking back, he didn’t know when he had become friends with the lot of them. How could one group of friends put each other through so much turmoil, so much pain? Maybe he would have been better off not getting involved at all. RyanCentric.
1. Prologue

**Alrighty. Here's my newest story! Enjoy!**

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_**Prologue** _

A man in his early thirties stepped through the bright red doors of East High School. He hadn't been there in years and seeing that it hadn't changed brought tears to his eyes. So many of his memories had happened in the very hallways in which he stepped so many years ago. He paused momentarily in the lobby before noticing something on the wall that hadn't been there when he was a student.

A plaque.

He skimmed the words and wiped the tears that had fallen from his eyes off his cheeks. The hallways were empty because there was a basketball game going one, he knew that for sure. That was all the radio stations could talk about for miles around.

Legendary coach Jack Bolton had returned to East High for one final season before retiring. The man sighed, remembering how half way through his senior year no one had cared when he quit with half his season left.

Of course, no one had cared about anything during that awful month of December. Even though it wasn't cold, the man clung on to his jacket. He heard a loud yell from the gym and he walked toward it. The Wildcats were down by two with five minutes left. By the blue of their jerseys, he could tell that the opposing team was West High.

A boy with a red jersey on stole the ball and took it down the court, stopping to catch his breath before shooting a three point shot with no one around. The man's eyes filled with tears and he mentally cursed himself. This was a bad visit. With every passing seconds, his senior year was flooding his mind.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. A tall, dark skinned man was looking down on him, making the man fell extremely short. A small girl was hanging on his leg. The tall man looked out on the court. "He reminds me of Troy," he said, nodding toward the player who had shot the three pointer. "Either that, or a mix between him and Chad. Good to know East High will always have a good team."

"You guys had a good team."

The tall man laughed. "Yeah, how could you not with Troy and Chad. They expected a good season, even with so many underclassmen." He sighed and looked out at the court. "Have you seen Gabriella recently?"

The tearful man shook his head. The last time he'd seen any of them had been graduation, except Gabriella, and the dark skinned man knew. "No," he said finally. "Not in years."

"It's good to see you again," the man said, picking up the little girl and walking off toward the stands.

He was alone again. The buzzer rang and the Wildcats had come to victory. They were advancing to States. He looked to the bench and saw Coach Bolton with a little flicker of a smile on his face. This was the outcome that was supposed to have happened in his senior year. Instead there was chaos.

Thinking back, he didn't know when he had become friends with the lot of them. He had always been a shadow, but they made him seem like a person, especially after the summer they had all come off together.

Now, he was wondering how one group of friends could put each other through so much turmoil, so much pain. Maybe he would have been better off not getting involved at all. The Wildcats pranced off the court, jumping up and down with excitement, and he knew exactly why he'd become friends with them.

They accepted him.

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**So, tell me what you think. Review!!**

**Also, I have a to read a few books for my English class and I can only use the computer after I finish them. So, hopefully I'll have the next chapter up by the weekend...hopefully!!**


	2. 108 days before

**Okay, a lot of you are confused about the prologue, but you're supposed to be. Also, you won't find out much about it until later. It fits in toward the middle of the story.**

Also, the way my chapters are titled is from a book I had to read for school by John Green. It's all his idea.

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**108 days before**

September fourth. Every student enrolled in the Albuquerque Public Schools, even the scholastic decathlon group, hated September fourth. Because the fourth day of September, the day after Labor Day in 2007, happened to be the first day of school.

And today was no different for Ryan Evans as it had been for the last thirteen years. He was sitting on the stoop of his family's Albuquerque home, backpack on his shoulders, waiting for his sister so they could go to school. He sighed, looking out over the perfectly manicured lawn and the bushes that had been cut just right.

This summer had been one of the greatest he'd ever had. It had started off the same as every other summer, with his sister scheming to win the Star Dazzle Award at their country club's annual talent show, but it had suddenly taken an unexpected spin. She had asked Mr. Fulton, the general manager at their country club, to hire the local basketball star, Troy Bolton.

That was when the trouble started. Troy, in turn, asked Mr. Fulton to hire all his friends and, as Mr. Fulton had been told to hire Troy "whatever it takes" by the daughter of his bosses, he was forced to hire all of Troy's many friends. Ryan had been taken out of his and his sister's act the minute that she knew Troy would sing with her during the talent show and for a few days that had bothered him.

Then he found something in the Wildcats who came with Troy that summer, something his sister would never have. Friendship.

"Ryan!"

He sighed again, taken out of the summer memories he wanted to cling to so badly by his sister's nagging voice. The familiar sound of her high heels were heard on the stone steps as she strutted past him on her way to her pink convertible with SE written on the hood.

"Ryan!" she shouted, clearly annoyed as she flipped her sunglasses over her eyes. "Are you coming or what?"

He shrugged and she groaned, yelling his name for the third time that morning. "Sharpay! Just shut up!" he yelled back, not in the mood for her complaints about him.

She looked at him as if he had said something that truly hurt her, but the look was replaced soon after by an insulted expression. Ryan felt a burden lift from his shoulders, he'd never yelled at Sharpay before, it had always been the other way around. He was in charge for once and he liked it a lot more than he thought he would.

"Well, you know what, Ryan? You can walk to school," she sneered, pushing the key into the ignition and fleeing from the driveway at a speed that made Ryan certain she was going to lose control of the car.

Ryan didn't mind that he needed to walk to school. It wasn't very far, twenty minutes at the most, and it was straight shot down the road. He also didn't mind that he wouldn't have to listen to Sharpay's nagging. The thing that bothered him was that he would be late, which wasn't a great way to start the first day of school. But his parents were gone and he didn't have a car, so the thought of being on time was completely washed from his mind. At least now he would have time to think.

Although there wasn't many happy things for him to think about. The kids who had become his friends over the summer would probably rejoin their clique and Ryan would be alone. He'd be forced to be Sharpay's puppy for his senior year. The thought didn't excite him at all.

A loud honk was heard from behind him, and Ryan nearly jumped out of his clothes. His clothes were another thing that had changed. Instead of the matching, sequined outfits Sharpay had picked out, Ryan had taken a lesson out of the books of Troy and his best friend, Chad Danforth. Today he had on a red polo and jeans. Nothing extravagant, as Ryan hoped he would be able to blend into the crowd of students and not be "Sharpay's Brother" again.

"Hey, Evans! Need a lift?"

A beat up, blue pick up truck stopped on the side of the road and Chad's big haired head stuck out the window. A smile was planted on the boy's face as he motioned for Ryan to move toward them. He knew Chad was just trying to be nice, but why would he refuse a ride that would get him to school on time?

Chad opened the door and slid into the middle seat as Ryan entered and, for the first time, the blond boy recognized that Chad was not the driver. Sitting behind the wheel was the one and only Troy Bolton, whose smile was not nearly as big as Chad's and looked somewhat forced. His eyes, although still that vibrant blue color, were not only tired and slightly bloodshot but looking at Ryan with curiosity. Ryan had begun to think Troy was unaware that his best friend even knew the kid who had entered his car enough to offer him a ride.

"Come on, Troy," Chad said, honking the horn. "We're going to be late!"

Troy rolled his eyes and put the car into motion, keeping his eyes on the road as Chad started friendly conversation with Ryan. The radio was turned low in the background, someone talking about the weather, but Chad's voice easily drowned out the meteorologist.

"You have definitely got to be on the baseball team this year," Chad said, turning from Ryan to Troy. "You've got to see this kid play, man! He's almost as good as me."

Troy shook his head. "Always the modest one, aren't you, Chad?" he muttered, groggily.

Chad glared. "Hey, just because you didn't fall asleep until three last night-"

"I couldn't, okay! You know that," Troy interrupted with malice twisted in his voice.

Turning away from Troy, Chad looked back at Ryan. A dark expression had formed on his face. "Well, that's your fault, not mine," he sneered, loud enough for Troy to hear over the extended forecast.

Ryan suddenly felt like he wasn't welcome in the car, or into their conversation for that matter. He had no idea what they were talking about and something told him he didn't want to. Chad's eyes became friendly again as he picked up his conversation, almost begging him to join the team. Ryan had to remind him three times that baseball season wasn't until April and that it was only September.

The truck stopped outside the school in the student parking lot. Ryan quickly opened the door and slid out, happy to get to school on time. He thanked Troy and Chad before turning, ready for them to completely ignore him because that's what they normally did. Suddenly an arm was around Ryan's shoulder and he looked to his side.

Chad was smiling back at him. "So, you thought you could get rid of us that easily, did ya?" He gave a small chuckle, his hair bouncing with every step. "Do you really want to hang around behind your sister? You seemed to like being yourself at the country club. Plus, dancing was really..." his voice broke off as if he was having trouble saying the next word, "...fun."

Ryan smiled. So, they hadn't just tried to be nice to him. Chad sincerely sounded as if he wanted to be his friend. Ryan turned back to see Troy walking slightly behind them, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. He appeared to be falling asleep standing up.

"How upset do you think Sharpay will be when she sees you with us, Ryan?" Chad asked, bringing Ryan's thoughts back to the big haired teen. To be honest, he wanted to see that himself. He couldn't imagine what his sister's reaction would be.

"Yo, Chad!"

Both Ryan and Chad looked up to see a tall black boy, whom Ryan knew was Zeke Baylor because the baking basketball player had a crush on his sister. Zeke looked taken aback at the sight of the two walking up together. He nodded curtly at Ryan before smiling over their heads. "Troy! You falling asleep standing up out there?"

Troy lifted his head and Ryan got a good look at the boy. He had bags under his bloodshot eyes and his skin was pale - not that Ryan could talk, Troy still looked Hawaiian when he stood next to the blond boy. He nodded his head and walked up to Zeke, placing his head on the tall boy's chest.

"You have got to get more sleep, Captain," Zeke said, now concerned instead of jokingly. Troy nodded again. "Seriously, man. If you get another D, you're dad is going to flip out."

Ryan narrowed his eyes in confusion. Troy had a D? It was common knowledge that Troy Bolton was the scholar-athlete poster boy, getting all As and Bs while still being the captain of the basketball team and a member of the golf team.

Troy merely shrugged. "It's history. What do I need that for?"

Chad groaned and took his arm off Ryan's shoulders. He lifted up Zeke's hand and raised his eyebrows, his eyes reading the watch that adorned the other boy's wrist. "Come on, lets go find a seat."

Zeke pushed Troy lightly to get him to move and the boy stumbled back a little before leading the three through the school to the gym. It was packed with people and Ryan quickly noticed Jason sitting with Gabriella, Taylor, and Kelsi. He was waving for them to come over. Of course, Ryan knew that he was waving for Troy, Chad, and Zeke, not him.

"Ryan!"

He groaned at Sharpay's high pitch voice. He turned and looked over at his sister, who was waving for him to go over there. His eyes followed Chad, Zeke, and Troy as they sat down with Jason. This was the turning point. He could go with them and completely lose the respect of his sister - which, he needed to remind himself, he never really had in the first place. Or he could follow them. Gabriella and Kelsi had always been nice to him and Chad now was friendly toward him.

There was a cough and Ryan turned. Mr. Matsui had the microphone raised to his lips and was ready to start the beginning of school speech. "Mr. Evans, please take your seat so that we may begin."

Ryan looked out at the faces, every eye was staring at him. He'd never been so afraid of attention in his life. His eyes darted between Sharpay and Chad for a second before his feet began to move toward the latter. He knew his sister's face was red and steam was escaping her ears, but he didn't care.

Or, at least that's what he told himself, because he didn't look back. He kept his eyes on the vacant seat beside Gabriella. He sat down quickly, breathing out a sigh of relief. Gabriella smiled up at him and he felt his lips do the same. Chad punched him lightly in the shoulder, as Ryan had seen him do many times before with Troy, Zeke, or Jason. Zeke and Jason both nodded their approval. Even Troy flashed him a quick, tired smile.

Mr. Matsui's speech was short and the same as it had been the first time Ryan had walked through the doors as a freshman. Chad muttered something about having it memorized and the group snickered. He dismissed them to collect their schedules in the gym lobby by grade, seniors first. Gabriella, Taylor, and Kelsi ran out, eager to see if they had any of their classes together while Troy, Zeke, Jason, and Chad stayed behind. Ryan followed them.

"So, what did you sign up for as an elective?"

Troy shrugged at Zeke's question. "Gym."

Chad's booming laughter filled the room. "You have taken that every year."

Ryan watched them interact very carefully, as if he was memorizing a script. He needed to know how they talked to each other so that he'd fit in.

But Chad and Troy confused him. They seemed so tense in the truck and in the presence of Zeke and Jason they were, as everyone saw them, best friends. They were Troy and Chad, the basketball playing duo that was never seen apart. He didn't let that bother him and decided that they were just cranky in the mornings.

Gabriella bounced over to them as they stood at the back of the line that had the names A-L. She stood on her tip toes to give Troy a quick kiss on the lips before showing him her schedule. Ryan almost looked away, afraid they'd want privacy, but the others didn't so he listened in. "You taste like Listerine," she told him.

"Would you rather me brush my teeth with chocolate?" Troy joked, pulling her closer. A yawn passed through his lips.

Taylor and Kelsi walked back from the M-Z line with their schedules and before long all the teens were comparing. Ryan didn't do that bad. He had all his classes with one of his newfound friends. It was a weird feeling for him, to walk with them and call them his friends. He didn't pay attention in any of his classes because his mind was focused on the one fact that they had accepted him.

In the cafeteria that afternoon, he followed Chad to the table where he would be sitting. He noticed Sharpay looking at him from across the room, but he ignored her like she had done to him in the past. It felt good to be in charge for once, instead of having to wait for her to tell him what he needed to do.

After school, he walked right by Sharpay's pink convertible and looked around for her. She was no place to be seen. He turned out of the school's property when he heard his name being called out. Zeke waved him over, loud music blaring from the white SUV. He jumped in the back and looked in the rearview mirror.

Sharpay's pink convertible was directly behind them, sunglasses covering her eyes. For the first time in his life, Ryan was glad that his sister had insisted on the designer sunglasses because now he didn't have to look her in the eye.

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**So, what did you think? I'm trying my hand at a Ryan centric. I really loved Ryan in HSM 2 and was so happy that he broke free from Sharpay to become his own person. This is his view of senior year, because right now, he's my absolute favorite character!**

**Review!**


	3. 105 days before

**_Alrighty, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!!_**

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**105 days before**

For three days, Sharpay hadn't said a word to Ryan except "pass the salt" at dinner and, to Ryan's surprise, it didn't bother him as much as he thought it would. He was so used to Sharpay's constant nagging about what she needed that he never said much. Now, he was more talkative around everyone and his teachers - most of whom he'd had in earlier years - told him they'd seen improvement.

It had always been Sharpay this or Sharpay that, never Ryan. Even with his parents Sharpay had found a way to be the top priority. For the first time in his life, it was Ryan they asked about his classes first and Sharpay second. He now knew what it was like to be on her pedestal and he liked it.

After school he didn't need to wait for Sharpay. He could walk or catch a ride with his friends. The word still tripped him up sometimes. Friends. Not Drama Club members or Sharpay's country club minions. He had actual friends, the kind that cared.

Even so, when the telephone rang and the caller id said "Danforth" in bold letters, Ryan felt his eyebrows raise. The phone never rang for him. It was either a business call for his father, one of his grandparents for his mother, or Emma, Lea, or Jackie - the 'minions' - for Sharpay. He didn't even know Chad's number was programed into their phone.

"Hello?" he said, still shocked it wasn't for another Evans.

"Hey! It's Chad!"

"I know," Ryan said quietly, looking around the house. Sharpay was upstairs doing homework, his parents had gone out to dinner. "What's up?" he asked with more confidence.

"You want to hang out with me and Zeke, we're just going to shoot some hoops."

Ryan bit his lip. Dancing and baseball he could do, basketball...that was a whole other story. He tried it once at the country club and frowned at the memory. "Maybe later," he said, not wanting to show them what a dork he was it came to the sport they loved. They might take back what they said about 'friends' when they saw he had absolutely no ability.

"Suit yourself," Chad said. Ryan felt his heart drop. That was it. Come Monday, he'd be all by himself. He was so focused on his self pity that he barely heard Chad's, "some other time then. We'll get Jason and a few of the guys and play wiffle ball. That's more your game. Call me later!"

Ryan kept the phone to his ear even when the operator's voice said, "if you'd like to make a call, hang up and try again!" He couldn't believe he'd thought they'd ditch him because he didn't play basketball. They liked him for him.

"Who is it?"

Ryan turned and noticed Sharpay standing on the steps, hands on her hips. He nodded into the phone, not wanting her to know that Chad had hung up a while before. "Of course. See you later." He paused a moment before adding, "yeah, talk to you soon. Bye, Chad," and hanging up.

Sharpay glared at him. "What's gotten into you?"

"Me?" Ryan yelled outraged. "What's gotten into _me_?"

She nodded, her eyes filling with concern. He laughed at her question. "What?" he asked sarcastically. "Miss your pet? Do you not like having me to boss around twenty-four hours a day?"

"I think they're a bad influence on you," she told him, her eyes staring at something in the background.

"You're just jealous I have friends and you don't!" Ryan exclaimed.

She stepped off the bottom step and walked across the room, standing on her tiptoes so she could look into his blue eyes. "They're the Wildcats, Ry," she told him sincerely. "The same Wildcats that made fun of us. All the time."

"They've changed."

Blinking once, she turned away. "So have you," she said quietly before walking back up the stairs. Ryan's eyes followed her until she was out of sight and then he groaned. She was the best actress in school, he was not going to fall for her awful schemes. He was not going to be her puppet again.

Freedom, he realized, was a great thing.

He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bag of chips before launching himself on the couch for a night of relaxation. He knew he wasn't supposed to eat in the living room, but he didn't care. So what if he dropped a potato chip on the white rug or the white carpet. They had more than enough money to pay someone to wash it if, heaven forbid, it made a stain.

There wasn't much on, except the replaying of the Diamondbacks's win over the San Diego Padres the night before. He'd watched it. Arizona's bats were on fire in the 9-6 victory. They were the top team in the National League West by one game. Ryan had never cared especially for the Diamondbacks.

He liked the Eastern League teams better ever since his father took him to a game at Yankee Stadium, right after his team had won the Little League World Series in Newport. The Yankees had just so happened to be playing their rivals, the Boston Red Sox. He knew his father, who had spent a good chunk of his life after college in New York, was a Yankees fan and was sure that whether Ryan's team had won or not, his father would have still gotten the two of them on a plane to New York to see them - also, Sharpay and his mother were shopping there. The game had been invigorating. Secretly, because if he spoke it he'd cause his father pain, he liked the Red Sox.

He looked at the clock. Eight o'clock, it read. His parents would be home soon, so he took one last chip before closing the bag and getting off the couch. He stuffed it back into the correct cupboard and sat at the island. The front door opened and Ryan smiled, glad he put everything away.

"How was your evening, Duckie?"

Nodding to his mother, he said, "fine."

"What did you do, son?" his father asked, looking around for evidence of homework.

Ryan shrugged. "Nothing much, just hanging out. Talked to a couple of my friends."

His mother smiled at him, patting his hand. "Sounds fun," she said, walking out of the room, his father right behind her. He turned his back to them, feeling satisfied. They hadn't asked about Sharpay. That was his favorite part about the conversation. Short, sweet, and just Ryan. No sister.

He leaned back and put his hands behind his head. He could definitely get used to that.

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**Okay. I want to thank my two reviewers: ****dancerlittle**** and ****corbinbleuis4evasexc****. I can't stress enough how much I want reviews. They not only tell me that people are reading, but they help me in so many ways. I absolutely adore constructive criticism and don't take offence. I believe that your feedback makes me a better writer.**

**Review!!**


	4. 103 days before

**_Okay, sorry about the long wait, but I've been really busy with homework and field hockey that I haven't had any time to write. I wrote this chapter up in little fragments when ever I had a chance. Hope you enjoy it!_**

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**103 days before**

Ryan walked into the park with the sun shining down on him. Chad had told him to meet them by the big oak tree by the playground. He still couldn't get over the fact that Chad Danforth had called him, informing him of the latest game of wiffle ball. He felt himself smile. He needed to realize that these people were his friends.

He walked passed the duck pond and noticed that no one was by the tree yet, so he took the long way, circling the park. A man was watching his daughter feed the ducks, her black ponytail blowing in the wind. There were kids playing tag. It was the perfect day for being outside.

Across the pond Ryan's eyes caught a white jacket with red lettering he recognized quickly. It was Troy's jacket and he assumed it was Troy wearing it but he couldn't tell because the boy had his back to him. He was talking to a boy with dark brown hair who Ryan didn't know. He frowned as the boy clapped Troy on the back and walked away. Troy turned around and leaned against a tree for a minute before pushing himself up. He swung an Adidas bag over his shoulders and walked out of the park's south entrance, not even noticing Ryan's stare.

The blond looked down at his feet, afraid that he'd missed something. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, but he didn't have any missed calls. Did they decide not to play and forget to call him?

A hand landed on his shoulder and he jumped. "Hey, it's just me," came Chad's voice from behind him.

Chuckles entered his ears and he turned. Zeke, Jason, and eight others stood around Chad who was holding a yellow, plastic bat and a white wiffle ball. The bushy haired boy tossed the ball to him and Ryan caught it was ease. They started to walk to the vacant baseball field, Chad's booming voice easy to hear over the sounds of the park.

"We saw you over there," he said. "You were at the wrong tree, you do know that, right?"

"Give the poor boy a break, Chad," Zeke yelled, as they approached the fence. The gate was locked, but that didn't stop them. Chad jumped the fence first, throwing the bat over first, and signaling for Ryan to copy him.

Once all twelve were over, Chad picked up the bat and gave it a swing. "Oh, and by the way, Ryan, you're on my team."

Six of the boys jogged out to the pitcher's mound to hold a team meeting. Chad, Zeke, Jason, and two boys Ryan didn't know huddled around the bat Chad had been swinging but had discarded. Ryan joined in on the huddle. "Where's Troy?" he heard his voice ask.

Chad's face contorted slightly. His eyes narrowed but his lips frowned, as if he was both angry and upset. Jason looked up from the ground and opened his mouth, eager to answer. "Troy's-"

Zeke slapped a hand over Jason's mouth and sent him a threatening look. "Troy's not a big wiffle ball player," he said, more to Jason than Ryan. Then he turned to the blond. "He really only plays basketball."

"What about golf?" Ryan asked, wanting desperately to know what Jason was going to say.

"Golf is a way to relax," Chad answered, his eyes focused on the ground. He lifted them and cracked a smile. "What are the twenty questions about Troy for? Come on, let's play ball."

The five other boys jumped and cheered, but Ryan stood still. Chad's tone had been almost defensive, harsh even, and the smile...he could never be an actor. Something was bothering him. Did Troy and Chad, the infamous duo, have a fight? But, that didn't explain Zeke's behavior.

"Hey, Evans! You're up!"

Ryan took his place at the plate, the baseball bat in his hands. The pitcher pitched the ball and Ryan knew it was the perfect pitch. He connected the bat and the ball and sent the latter flying into the outfield, driving in Chad and Zeke for his team on a double.

At the end of the game, his team won 6-2. He, Chad, Zeke, and Jason waved goodbye to the others and walked out of the park, laughing about some errors and talking excitedly about a few good hits.

The chorus to a song Ryan had never heard before sang from Chad's pocket and the boy grabbed his cell, groaning as he saw who was calling. "What?" he snarled into the phone.

There was a pause before Chad sighed. "Fine, I'll be there in ten."

"Who was it?" Zeke asked. He seemed to be as confused as Ryan was.

"Troy," Chad said quietly, walking around the three to turn down a side street. "He wants me to try something."

Zeke narrowed his eyes. "Chad-"

"I know, I know!" Chad interrupted, waving his hands in the air. "I'm not going to, but I want to see if I can get it through his head that-" he stopped mid sentence and turned to Ryan. "Never mind."

Jason nodded, but Zeke just rolled his eyes as Chad started to jog away from them. The three walked in silence until Zeke and Jason needed to turn and Ryan went straight. They both uttered a simple "see you tomorrow" and turned away.

Ryan was relieved to not have to walk awkwardly with them. They both knew something that Ryan didn't and weren't going to tell him any time soon. He sighed and walked, thinking about what Chad had said until he reached his house. The reason for their tension was Troy, that much Ryan was sure of. He just didn't know what Troy was doing, and part of him didn't even want to know.

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**So, poor Ryan doesn't have a clue what's going on with his new friends.**

**And remember, a feedback is a writer's best friend!**

**Review!**


	5. 98 days before

**98 days before**

The rest of the week went by extremely fast for Ryan. He had a few tests, but it was relatively easy. Senior year was the easiest year of high school, the only major test being the SATs and the only taxing activity was writing essays for the application.

So, sitting in Art on Friday afternoon, Ryan began to contemplate how lucky he was to live in Albuquerque, where the only required class for seniors was English 12. His schedule for the first semester went: Spanish Seminar, English 12 honors, Drama and Speech, Lunch, and Art.

Ryan looked down at his paper, remembering how Chad had called him a 'smartie like Gabriella and Taylor' for taking honors English and Spanish Seminar. It wasn't that he was smart, because if you looked at his math grade you knew he wasn't. He was good with words and writing had always been one of his strong points. He figured that was why he was good at Spanish too.

Art wasn't one of those strong points.

He groaned as he looked at his picture. It was supposed to be a self portrait but looked more like a cartoon played on Sunday morning television. He rolled his eyes and erased his nose for the fifteenth time since his class started. He put his pencil to the paper and stared in the mirror. He drew a 'c' on his paper for a nose and dropped the special drawing pencil. Letting his eyes scan the table, he let them land on Troy's paper.

The only reason Ryan knew that the drawing Troy made wasn't a photograph was that he saw him draw it with his own eyes. It looked exactly like him and Ryan was in complete awe. Troy looked bored as he added a little shading under the lip of his drawn self.

"How did you do that?" he heard himself ask. No one but him had looked up, every other student at the table focused in their drawings. Troy lifted his eyes but said nothing. Instead, he shrugged and inspected his picture.

There was a cackling and Mr. Matsui's voice erupted through the overhead, delivering the afternoon announcements. Mrs. Moynahan, the art teacher, scribbled the weekend homework assignment on the board and Ryan pulled out his planner dutifully.

_Draw a picture of the world, be creative._

Ryan blinked twice unsure of what he was seeing. After realizing that she was serious about the assignment, he wrote it down and tried to figure out why she would want him to draw a circle with continents on it, and how he could possibly make it creative.

The bell rang and Ryan stood, throwing his messenger bag over his shoulder. He turned to tell Troy to wait for him, but he'd already left. The blond frowned. Troy never waited for him and was always the first one out the door, sometimes he didn't even put his chair up.

"Mrs. Moynahan," he asked, walking to his art teacher's side. She smiled at him. "What do you mean by drawing a picture of the world."

She nodded her head, more to herself than to Ryan, before saying, "how do you see the world around you? Show me through art."

Ryan frowned but didn't ask further. He saw grass and buildings and roads. Still slightly confused, he walked through the basement of East High and looked for his friends in the lobby. As always, Chad, Zeke, Jason, and Troy were seated around the stairs that led to the red doors.

"Ry! How funny was Drama and Speech today!" Chad yelled out as Ryan got closer.

He didn't answer. Sharpay was walking down the hallway with her eyes anywhere else but him. Drama and Speech had been funny, but it was at Sharpay's expense. She and Chad had been partnered together for their improv. Chad didn't care about the class, it was just an elective he was forced to take, unlike Sharpay who wanted to be there.

Sharpay's eyes focused on the tiles of the floor as she passed them. Guilt filled Ryan's system, but he let it pass. This was Sharpay, the ice queen. But she was also his sister, his twin, and it was unsettling knowing that she didn't want anything to do with him.

"Ryan! Come on!"

He watched his sister walk by, ignoring the calls of his friends. He grabbed Sharpay's arm and pulled her toward him. She looked up at him. "Let go of me, Ryan."

And, as if he had no other choice, he did. She walked down the hallway silently. He was losing his sister.

"Hey, slowpoke! Let's go!" Chad's voice joked.

He was at a loss. He had been almost sure that what he wanted was to be his own person, to have friends. If that was the case, why did he feel like he was the bad guy.

"Ryan, let's go! I want ice cream."

Chuckling, Ryan pushed Sharpay out of his mind and looked at his friends. Chad was begging him to hurry up. Troy was looking at the wall blankly. Zeke and Jason were rolling their eyes and smiling at Chad. Today they had made plans to go get ice cream, just the guys. They would all pile in Zeke's SUV and go down the street to the little ice cream parlor.

As he walked toward them, Troy stood. "Actually, guys, I think I'm out."

Chad frowned and looked to Zeke and Jason. They each gave an affirmative nod. When the bushy haired boy turned to him, Ryan felt distant. "Yeah, I think my mom actually told me to come straight home today," he said quietly. "Troy, want to give me a lift?"

Troy's eyes lit up. "Really?" he asked. Ryan frowned. It seemed like he was excited by the fact that Chad was turning down ice cream to get a ride home with him.

"Yeah, I guess," Chad muttered. "See you tomorrow."

The two walked out of the school and it wasn't long before Zeke and Jason had bailed too, with lame excuses like homework and family. Ryan sat on the steps. Maybe he didn't belong in their group after all.

"Need a ride?"

He turned around to see Kelsi. She smiled down at him with the kind smile Ryan remembered from the year before. He hadn't seen her much as she usually sat with Sharpay and the drama kids at lunch and he didn't have any classes with her. He nodded and followed her to the modest car she drove. It wasn't anything like Sharpay's convertible or Zeke's SUV, but it was comfortable.

"Sharpay leave without you?" she asked kindly.

"Yeah," he replied, not really lying, yet not telling her the whole truth. She didn't question him and the rest of the ride was made in silence.

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**Okay, not my best, but...**

**School is taking up all of my time during the week, so updating will probably be on the weekends.**

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	6. 91 days before

**Sorry about the wait. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I love to heard for you all!**

**

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91 days before**"And the ball is stopped at the East High fifteen, first down!" 

Ryan furrowed his eyebrows as the crowd cheered around him. Gabriella chuckled beside him, patting his arm. "That's good!" she told him, before turning back to the field and yelling.

Football had never interested Ryan. It seemed like WWE with a brown, leather ball. But, none the less, it was exciting to be in the stands, cheering on his fellow classmates as they tried to score against their crosstown rivals West High.

Zeke and Chad were running through stats behind him, wondering how many of the upcoming games the Wildcats would have to win to get into the playoffs. That was something that had never happened before and it would mean the changing of times if they did. East High's football program had never been strong. The fact that their stands were full made the coach do a double take at the beginning of the game.

There was a timeout called and the people in the stands kept cheering. Ryan did his share of shouting as well, getting caught up in the game, even if he didn't know what was going on.

Sirens were heard in the distance, but Ryan thought nothing of it. Suddenly the bright lights were in his line of vision, driving down the street that faced the field. The cheering started to diminish as the ambulance and line of police cars pulled to a stop.

"What the heck's going on?" a freshman with his face painted half-red half-white asked from two rows behind them.

"Do we look like we know?" Chad yelled up. The freshman gave him a look before turning his head. Chad had gotten fed up with the freshman that night with their constant yelling and asking of 'what happened?' every time a whistle went off. Ryan had asked those questions too, but Chad hadn't bit his head off.

The NBA theme song started to go off from Chad's pocket and everyone turned to him. Chad didn't seem fazed by all the eyes. Instead he asked, "where are you?"

There was a pause before he opened his mouth to speak again. "Wait, slow down. Are you hurt?"

"Who is it?" Jason whined.

Chad's head popped out of the crowd and began to look around for someone in the mass of people in the walkway around the field. His head stopped quickly and he lifted his arm to wave. Ryan looked down to see who was approaching them and was surprised to see Troy. He hadn't realized Troy left, he'd been there at the half time.

"So, tell me exactly what happened," Chad said as Troy sat down.

"You know Edgar Garrison, right?" Chad nodded. Ryan didn't have a clue who Troy was talking about. "Well, he got in a fight with some kid. The kid pulled out a knife-"

Chad interrupted, his eyes wide. "Are you serious?" Troy nodded. "Do you know who the kid was?"

Troy shook his head. "No, I don't. But, he slashed Edgar in the neck. It wasn't that deep, but he was bleeding." Troy didn't take his eyes off of Chad. "I don't know what Edgar did, but this guy was mad."

"Edgar?" Gabriella questioned. "He's in my math class."

Zeke, Chad, Troy, and Jason all turned their heads quickly. "Really? He's in the smart math class?" Jason asked. Ryan turned back to the field where the game had continued.

"Yeah, he sits two rows behind me. He's really smart."

"That's a shock."

Laughter.

"Don't get involved with him."

Ryan turned his head. Troy had said the sentence so forcefully and with so much protection, that he knew Troy knew more than he was letting on about this Edgar Garrison. With one look at Gabriella's face, Ryan knew that she was thinking the same thing he was.

"He can't be that bad. He's in my math class, we're all a bunch of nerds," she joked.

"Still," Troy said, placing his hands on her shoulders and his forehead to hers. "Don't. If he's getting into fights like that, than you shouldn't be partnered up with him or hanging around with him."

Chad nodded his head. "Yeah. He's one of those kids, Gabriella. No matter what math class he's in."

Ryan turned back to the field, but the game just wasn't the same. There wasn't as much cheering, as most of the crowd was trying to find out what happened. Gossip was spreading every which way. But there was a bright side.

East High was ahead with five minutes to go.

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**Sorry about the wait. I've been so busy lately. School takes up too much time...what with homework and sports. **

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	7. 88 days before

**First I want to say thanks to Embry, Dancerlittle, Pumpernickle Muffin, and Oliverwoodschic for reviewing last chapter.**

**Now, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

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**88 days before**

"Alright, class, I graded your drawings from last week and I want to pass them back before the announcements come on. For the most part they were all very good," Mrs. Moynahan said as she passed back the art assignment. She placed Ryan's in front of him and he was content with the grading of a b minus. He allowed his eyes to casually look at everyone else's drawings. The grades seemed to range from low c's to high b's.

Until he looked at the paper beside his.

The white paper was completely covered in dark charcoal sketches. Ryan made out a basketball court, a wildcat, the number 14, and a bouncing ball very easily. After a more thorough look, he noticed that Troy's paper wasn't focused on basketball as it appeared on first glance.

There were rain clouds in the top, lefthand corner. On the bottom was a dahlia and beside it was the devil with his scythe. Written in neat calligraphy was lyrics of a song Ryan had heard but didn't recall what it was. "What does it take to be number 1?" was dark black in the center of the paper with "2 is not a winner and 3 nobody remembers" scribbled in down the handle of the devil's scythe. The only color on the whole paper were two red drops coming from the rain cloud, which Ryan recognized as blood.

Ryan looked up at Troy. He seemed oblivious to the paper placed at his seat. Instead, his eyes were focused on the clock, watching the second hand move slowly around in a circle, not even caring that his paper was the only one in the whole class that received an A.

"Good afternoon, East High," Mr. Matsui said from the speaker. "A few announcements for today. Any varsity boys basketball player interested in playing fall basketball please see Coach Bolton in room 310 after school for the sign up papers."

Troy groaned, making Ryan turn his head.

"Also, after the incident at Friday night's football game, I have decided that the next home football game, which is the next week, will be played on Saturday afternoon at one o'clock in the afternoon. I understand that is the day of the homecoming dance, which we have moved from seven to eight."

This time a few of the girls groaned and the class began to complain. Mrs. Moynahan hushed them as the announcements continued.

"And, homecoming tickets will be sold next week in the Athletic Office before and after school as well as during lunch. No tickets will be sold at the door. Have a great afternoon."

As if on cue, the bell rang and the students filed out of the classroom. Ryan put up his chair and was surprised to see Troy standing at the door, waiting for him.

"You're going to hang out with us today, right?" he asked. Ryan nodded. "Well, just follow me to my dad's room. That's where we'll all be since we play basketball, you know."

The last sentence stung Ryan. If it had been Chad who had said it, it wouldn't have meant anything. Coming from Troy, it was different. It was a put down, a 'you don't belong' phrase. Troy's eyes held no emotion. They were glazed over and looking at Ryan as if he was a parasite.

Ryan reached over the table and grabbed Troy's picture before following him out the door. He quickly caught up and handed the paper to him. "You almost forgot this."

Troy took it in his hands and ripped it in half before throwing it in a garbage bin. Ryan's eyes widened. That looked like it took hours to do and Troy had destroyed it. Troy continued down the hall, but Ryan stopped, grabbing it out of the trash and sticking it in his bag before running to catch up with the boy.

When they arrived at Coach Bolton's room, Ryan didn't know whether he should go in or not. He stood outside the doorway as Troy walked in.

"Hey, Ry!"

Feeling relieved, he turned to see Chad, Zeke, and Jason. He waved and the three waved back. Chad made Ryan feel comfortable. He could hang around with Chad and not feel as if he was hated. Jason and Zeke he could deal with, but Chad was definitely his best friend out of the four.

"You gonna play ball?" Chad jokingly asked. Ryan shook his head anyway as Zeke and Jason chuckled as Chad pretended to bounce a ball. That was when Ryan noticed that Chad's lucky ball was missing.

"Where's your ball?" he asked.

Chad shrugged. "It popped last night. Me and Troy were fooling around with it."

Ryan nodded and the three basketball players made their way into the room. Ryan stood in the doorway, looking into the science room. Chad yelled out, "Coach! I'm back!"

Coach Bolton chuckled and handed the three papers. Ryan saw Troy headed for the counter. So did his father, because he called out, "Troy! Don't sit on the counter. We just used chemicals last block and I haven't cleaned up." Troy moved toward some desks and the coach turned his vision to the door. "Ryan, you can come in if you like."

Ryan walked in with all the eyes on him. There weren't too many kids in there. Troy, Chad, Zeke, Jason, and another kid who was in Ryan's English class. That was it for returning varsity players.

"I invited a few JV guys to play with us," Coach Bolton told the five. "I want to see how they play with you guys."

"Cool, can we go?" Troy asked impatiently. Coach Bolton nodded, obviously not pleased with his son's tone of voice, and Troy jumped off the desk. "See you at home!" he called over his shoulder. Chad, Zeke, and Jason followed him out the door and Ryan joined in the following when they reached him.

"You want to go to my house?" Chad asked. The group either nodded or shrugged in response. Ryan nodded. He'd never been to Chad's before. Ryan reluctantly got in Zeke's SUV with him and Jason. Chad sat in Troy's truck, and Ryan would have followed him if it hadn't been Troy driving.

Ryan watched out the window and frowned as they exited his neighborhood. As they continued down the streets, he began to realize how happy he was to live in a neighborhood where everyone's lawns were professionally cared for. They entered the working class neighborhood and he noticed that the houses weren't as large as his was and they weren't as well cared for.

The SUV pulled to a stop in front of a brown house with blue shutters and a basketball hoop facing the street. There wasn't a car in the driveway, but there were a few chalk drawings. The name Gracie was written in pink and in blue was Victoria. A dog was barking from inside the house.

"Oh, hush, Malika!" Chad's voice yelled from outside. Ryan jumped out of the SUV and looked around. It was almost like a different world. If he or his sister had ever written on the driveway with chalk they'd get in trouble for ruining the appearance of the house. It seemed that every driveway had chalk writing on it.

"Hey, can I use your phone?" Ryan asked. "I need to tell my mom where I am."

Jason and Zeke chuckled. Troy rolled his eyes. Chad nodded his head and reached into Troy's pocket, retrieving his cell phone. "Here use Troy's. I don't have a cell phone and if you go inside, Malika will be all over you. She loves new people. Goldens are so needy."

Ryan looked at Troy, asking his permission. The boy turned his back and walked away, grabbing a piece of chalk off the sidewalk. Ryan took that as a 'yes, you can use it' and dialed his number. He told his mother where he was quickly and handed the phone back to Troy, who took and put it back in his pocket without saying a word.

"Hey, Troy!"

Ryan turned his head and saw a kid in a oversized black jacket and jeans approach them. Troy looked to Chad, who nodded, and walked to the newcomer. Ryan didn't recognize him, but the others did. Zeke and Jason turned away. The kid waved to Chad and he halfheartedly waved back. Ryan decided to follow Zeke and Jason's lead and turned his back, pretending to examine the artistic abilities of Gracie and Victoria, who he assumed were Chad's sisters, and their fabulous doodles that covered the Danforth driveway.

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**Okay, well there you have it. **

**Tell me what you think.**

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	8. 76 days before

**Okay, here's the next chapter. Many thanks to Pumpernickle Muffin, dancerlittle, Harmonious.Piccolo, Oliverwoodschic, and Siggystar for reviewing!

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**76 days before**

Ryan stood at the entrance of the homecoming dance in a line that must have had a hundred people. The football team had won the game, sending everyone into a fit of happiness. They were in the playoffs indefinitely with only two more games left in the regular season. This was the first time that the Wildcats had ever been in the playoffs.

He looked around him, trying to pick out Chad's curly locks in the crowd ahead of him. He figured that they were towards the front. Ryan had never been one for dances, but Chad had forced him into buying a ticket, saying that you couldn't go through high school without attending one homecoming.

Jason had questioned him on how someone who loved to dance like he did would hate dances. Ryan didn't reply, but the reason was the dancing was so different. The dances that Ryan enjoyed were tango, ballet, and jazz, which were much different that the dances that would be performed that night.

Music blared out the rolled down windows of car, making Ryan turned. He knew the white SUV as Zeke's. All four doors opened and Chad, Zeke, Jason, Kelsi, and Taylor jumped out. Ryan felt himself sigh happily at the sight of them. He walked over to where they were getting out.

Chad punched his knuckles. "Hey, Ry!" he said.

"Is Troy here yet?" Zeke asked. Ryan was about to shake his head, but Chad beat him to it.

"You know Troy, he has to be fashionably late," Chad said, walking toward the line. "This is going to be awesome!"

"What?" Jason asked, confused. "The fact Troy's not here?"

Chad chuckled, but Ryan saw that his smile faltered, as if he had been caught. He began to walk faster toward the line, his eyes focused on the ground. Zeke and Jason laughed along even after Chad had stopped, not noticing their friend's change of behavior.

They stood in line, inching forward until they were finally at the door. The chaperones made Ryan pull out his school id and ticket, before letting him inside the gym. It was decorated with red and white with streamers and stars hanging from the ceiling.

Ryan smiled as they all entered the gym. Maybe it would be fun. He was with all his friends, and Troy wasn't there to make him feel uncomfortable. Chad rushed forward into the middle of the tightly clumped pack of kids. Zeke, Jason, Taylor, and Kelsi followed him at a slower pace and Ryan continued to look around, taking in the moment.

A new song came on and Ryan walked to where his friends were. They weren't in the middle, but they weren't out of the large group either. He could feel the sweat of his fellow classmates after a few dances and he before long he's be able to smell them too.

The music was loud enough so Ryan couldn't hear anything but the words of the song. He got lost in his dancing, trying to do what Chad, Zeke, and Jason appeared to be doing. He found it fairly easy to do. Then, someone called out, "Troy!" making him freeze.

He turned around to see Troy walk up with Gabriella about half an hour after he'd been let in, an hour after the dance was scheduled to begin. Gabriella looked amazing in a blue dress. He found himself staring. It was simple, not something that he'd ever find his sister in, by elegant. Feeling eyes on him, he looked up and saw Troy glaring at him. He turned back to his dancing.

But, it wasn't as easy as it had been before. For some reason, being around Troy made him self conscious. Maybe it was the fact that Troy was so popular, the number one boy in school, something Ryan could only dream of being. Troy was liked by everyone. Except, from what Ryan had seen, he wasn't a nice guy, at least not to him. And Chad's behavior around him made him curious.

Chad, in general, made him curious. The boy was Troy's best friend, yet he wanted to be friends with someone Troy obviously didn't like. The relationship between them seemed tense, as if it was on the rocks and one bad thing would destroy it forever.

"And, now it's time to announce the homecoming court!"

Ryan looked up at the clock. It was almost ten. He'd been thinking for an hour, probably looking like a dork just standing there while everyone around him danced. The freshmen, sophomore, and junior homecoming 'princes' and 'princesses' were called to the front before the senior king and queen were called.

"And for the seniors, the homecoming queen is Gabriella Montez."

The girls around him screamed loudly as Gabriella walked up to receive her tiara. Ryan clapped, smiling for his friend. He'd voted for her.

"And, homecoming king is Troy Bolton."

Everyone began to clap and wolf whistle as Troy strode up to accept his crown. Ryan knew when he saw the ballot earlier in the week that the Wildcat superstar was going to win by a landslide. The other person on the ballot had been Chad, the person he'd voted for.

A slow song started to play so the king and queen, as well as all the princes and princesses, could have their dance. Taylor and Kelsi, who had long since found Martha Cox, ran to the front to see Gabriella and Troy have their dance. Zeke, Jason, and Chad stayed back to talk with Ryan, not that he could hear much over the loudness.

The song was over before he knew it and Ryan was pushed back to the dance floor. He kept his eyes open for Troy, but the boy never showed. After a few songs, Ryan noticed Chad was gone too. He left the group he was with and tried to find them, but they were missing. Not really wanting to, he turned back to the dance floor. He stopped when he saw Gabriella behind him.

"Are you leaving too?" she asked. He shrugged. "Oh, because if you were going, then I was wondering if I could catch a ride home. There's only a few more songs left."

Ryan checked his watched. She was right, it was nearly eleven. "You can, but you have to ride in an obnoxious, pink convertible," he told her, somewhat embarrassed that he had to take Sharpay's car since he didn't have one of his own. Of course, Sharpay didn't want him to take it, their parents had made her.

"I don't mind," she said. "Anything so I don't have to walk. My feet are killing me."

He smiled and led her out the door. The chaperone at the door told them to have a good night, pointing to a sign on the door that reminded them that there was no reentry. When they were in the car, Ryan looked at her. "What happened to Troy?"

She shrugged. "He and Chad left early. And I really didn't want to ride home with Zeke and Jason. I don't really trust them behind the wheel of a car together, well, any of them for that matter. I feel much safer when there is only me and the driver."

"You're smart," Ryan said, as he pulled out of the school's driveway toward her house. He'd only been there once, but he thought he could remember where it was.

"Yeah, Troy offered me a ride earlier, but Troy and Chad together in a car," she raised her eyebrows, "especially after a night of dancing."

Ryan nodded, pulling down her street and stopping at her house. She smiled. "Thanks, Ryan. You're the best," she told him sweetly as she shut the pink door and walked to her front door. Ryan smiled back before putting the car back in drive and pulling away from the curb.

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	9. 51 days before

**So sorry for the wait. Here's the next chapter. A little short with a little more action.

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**51 days before**

The month of October passed rather quickly and uneventfully for Ryan. He went about his own business, trying his best to stay away from Troy. With basketball season now approaching, Chad, Zeke, Jason, and Troy were constantly practicing. He found himself in his own company and it gave him time to think.

But, today was Halloween and East High seemed to have abandoned their red and white for orange and black, their wildcat for a black tabby. He walked down the halls after school, aware that he was the only one dressed in normal clothing. Most of the students were gone and the only ones left were in costumes.

He found himself walking alone. Troy had been skipping art now, which made him feel more comfortable. He was still on the verge of failure, but without Troy sending him glares he felt better.

Rounding the corner that led to Chad's locker, Ryan stopped. Troy was at Chad's locker and the two seemed to be fighting. He leaned against the wall, just barely able to see and praying that they couldn't hear them.

"Why are you trying to replace me with him?" Troy asked forcefully.

Chad rolled his eyes. "I'm not replacing you," he stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the word. "I'm spreading myself out and meeting new people. That's all."

Troy kicked the red metal. "Oh, who do you think you're kidding? You and I both know that the only reason why you're attaching yourself to him is so you can keep up the innocent act."

Groaning, Chad closed his locker. "What do you want me to do, Troy? I have two younger sisters, unlike you. You're an only child, you can do this, I can't."

"But you-"

Chad held his hand to Troy's mouth. "I'm sick of it. I want out," he whispered, so quietly that Ryan could barely hear. "And Ryan, for me, is the way out."

The blond's ears perked at the sound of his own name. They were talking about him. Troy and Chad were talking about him, but he didn't know if it was good or bad.

"Tell yourself that all you want," Troy muttered. "You'll come running back. You always do."

And without saying another word, Troy walked down the hallway and out of sight. Chad leaned against the lockers and let his eyes fall to the floor. Feeling as if he was slightly to blame, Ryan turned around and ran out the back way. There was something that he needed to do.

He'd never been a fast runner, but something inside of him pushed him. He shoved a couple of people as his feet moved him faster and faster, his strides lengthening with every step. When he reached the pavement of the parking lot, he stopped and spotted the blue pick up. He ran toward it and paused.

Troy was sitting in the driver's seat, a look of annoyance on his face. What had Ryan been thinking? Then, his mouth took over for him.

"I'm sorry, Troy, if you think that Chad is replacing you with me."

Laughing, Troy shook his head. "You don't know the half of it, Evans." Ryan just stood stone still in front of the truck. Troy looked Ryan up and down before smiling to himself. "You know, _Ryan_, maybe you and I could be friends. Meet me at my house on Friday night, at ten...oh wait, you are allowed out that late right?"

"Yeah, my parents don't care," Ryan told him, trying to sound tough.

Troy nodded. "Okay. Be there, and bring a ten."

"As in ten dollars?" Ryan clarified. Troy just nodded and put the car in drive, leaving the parking lot with a smile on his face. Ryan just watched the car drive off, wondering what he'd just gotten himself into.

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**Okay, so it's just a short chapter. There will be more action in the next chapter.**

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	10. 49 days before

**Alrighty. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I love hearing from you. Anyway...

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**49 days before**

"Night," Ryan called out to his parents and sister Friday night. They all turned around in their seats, their eyebrows raised.

"A little early for bed, isn't it, Duckie?" his mother asked.

He shrugged and did his best fake yawn, telling them it had been a tiring day. His mother and father believed it, turning back around. Sharpay kept her gaze on him and even when he walked away he knew her eyes were on his retreating back. She knew. She knew he was lying.

He walked up to his room and put his pillows under his covers, just incase his parents opened the door to check on him like they did some nights. He was about to climb down the vines that would be his escape when he stopped, knowing Sharpay would check to make sure he wasn't gone.

The door slammed open, revealing Sharpay. "I demand to know what you're doing!"

He gave her a look moved to his closet, pretending to take out his pajamas. "I'm getting dressed for bed, Shar. That's all."

She nodded her head and for a second he thought she believed him. "I don't even know why I care anymore when you obviously don't care about me or your life." She turned her back. "So go have fun with your little friends and if you're around in the morning and able to comprehend what I'm saying, you can tell me that I was wrong."

As she walked toward the door, Ryan raised his eyebrows confused at what she was saying. "Is that some sort of riddle, Sharpay? Because if it is, it's really bad."

She paused and turned around. "Oh, and Ryan, you might want to add one more pillow to your bed before you leave. You're taller than that," she told him before walking away, shutting the door behind her.

He stared at the door and blinked. How did she know where he was going? She was Sharpay and she did normally know every bit of gossip that traveled the school, but he didn't think that this would be worth gossiping about. It was just going to be him and Troy.

Walking by his dresser, he grabbed the ten dollar bill he had set out that morning. He still hadn't come up with a suitable reason for him to need any money. Nonetheless, he stuck the bill in his pocket and exited his room through the window. It was easier than he thought it would be and he hopped off the vines he'd climbed down onto the grass. Then he ran.

When he arrived at Troy's house he stood at the end of the driveway and looked up at the house. He didn't know what to do.

"So, you came."

He spun around and saw Troy step out from behind a tree. He caught his breath and nodded. Troy threw him a black hat. "Put it on," the boy instructed before walking down the street. Ryan quickly placed it on his head and rushed after the basketball star.

"Where are we going?" Ryan asked.

Troy smiled. "You'll see."

Ryan's legs soon began to ache. He'd run to Troy's house and now they were walking to who knew where. He didn't tell Troy that his legs hurt, not wanting to show Troy his pain. He cursed himself. A year ago he wouldn't have cared about what Troy thought, but now...it was a whole different story.

Looking around, he recognized the houses. He searched his brain, but nothing came to mind and the more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. Across the street, he noticed a boy walking a dog. They were far away but even in the night he could tell that the dog was yellow. As the boy came closer, Ryan began to realize who it was.

"Hey, Troy, it's Chad!"

Troy stopped dead, making Ryan walk into him. Then he started to sprint as fast as he could down the street. Ryan followed, still looking at Chad as they passed. The boy had stopped and his head was turned to watch the two running boys. Ryan almost wanted to take off his hat to show his blond hair and let his friend know that they weren't burglars.

They rounded a corner and Troy slowed down. Both of them were breathing heavily, but Troy bounced back quickly. "We're almost there."

Troy led Ryan to a house. They walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. The door opened and they were ushered in quickly by a boy Ryan recognized from school. He had dirty blond hair and tan skin. Ryan tried to remember his name, but he couldn't.

Another boy came down the stairs and his brown eyes locked on Ryan. "Dude, Troy, what are you doing? When you said you were bringing a friend, I figured it was Zeke or Jason." The boy walked all the way down the stairs and stood in front of Ryan, towering over him. He looked similar to Zeke except his skin was darker and his hair held more curls.

"When have Zeke and Jason ever wanted to come?" Troy asked, rolling his eyes. He turned to the blond boy. "I need a drink."

The boy nodded and walked down the hall into what Ryan assumed was the kitchen. The tall boy still kept his gaze on him. "But, Troy," the boy complained, "this is the rich kid from the dumb play. He's gonna tell on us."

"Ryan won't tell on us," Troy said turning to Ryan. "Right, _Ry_?"

He nodded. "Well that's good," the boy Ryan didn't know said. The blond boy walked back into the room with a glass of clear liquid. Troy drank it in one gulp and passed the glass back to the boy. Ryan sighed, he was thirsty and a glass of water would really hit the spot.

"The other's aren't coming until eleven," the blond boy said. His voice was squeaky and his facial features reminded him of a mouse. "You can drink all you want until then."

Troy walked down the hall. Ryan was amazed at how he seemed to be in charge here like he was at school. He followed behind them and listened. He thought he heard the tall boy ask about Chad.

He froze when he walked into the kitchen. The only think on the table were bottles. Bottles filled with alcohol. Troy stuffed a glass into his hands. "I know you're nervous," Troy said sweetly. Ryan felt his stomach drop. Troy's voice had almost been too sweet, making him sound almost like Gabriella. "But, trust me, this will make you relax."

Ryan followed him to the table and Troy filled both their glasses with vodka. "Drink up," he said, bringing his glass to his lips. Ryan followed his lead, feeling the burning sensation slide down his throat. Then he smiled and thought of Sharpay. She didn't know anything. Ryan had self control, he'd only drink one.

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Ryan woke up the next morning and looked around. He felt sick. He wanted to go back to bed or throw up, both sounded lovely. 

He heard someone clack their tongue on the roof of their mouth and he looked up. Troy was sitting on a chair, staring down at him. "Dude, you are the best drunk in the world," he said.

Ryan still didn't say anything. He felt like the world was spinning and Troy was talking really loudly. He wanted to tell him to leave him alone, when he noticed that he wasn't in his room. There was a picture of Gabriella on the bedside table. There were blue walls. Then it clicked, he was in Troy's room.

"You were out of it when the guys came, but I bought some for next time. And you were so good, that I completely forgive you for making me only drink a few so I could fix it. You were out of it when the guys came, but I bought some for next time."

Ryan blinked, not able piece Troy's sentences together fully. "Fix what?" he whispered.

"Well, I couldn't have your parents find out that you ran off in the middle of the night. Everyone knows you went off with me," Troy said. "So, I went into your room and took out the pillows and wrote a note to your parents. I'm a pretty good forger."

"How...?" his voice trailed off. He wanted to be asleep. He wanted to turn off the lights.

Troy shook his head. "You were so easy. I thought your parents wouldn't let you out so I checked your window. You're only supposed to leave it open a crack, not all the way." Troy stood and smiled. "Don't worry. The more you drink, the better your body will handle it."

The door shut and Ryan shut his eyes. What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

**So...tell me what you think! A lot of you had some right predictions.**

**Review!**


	11. 46 days before

**Sorry for the long wait. School's been horrible and my little brother has been addicted to this game on the internet. But, I had a snow day today - yeah! - and it's my turn on the computer! Anyway, here's the next chapter.\**

**Also, I wanted to thank those who reviewed last chapter: dancerlittle, Silver Apocalypse, Pumpernickel Muffin, and Inflatable Marshmellows.

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**

**46 days before**

For the rest of the weekend all Ryan could think about was that night. He didn't know if Troy had betrayed him or if he had betrayed himself. All the warning signs were there, very apparent in Troy's personality and appearance. So what made Ryan trust him?

On Monday morning, Ryan was no closer to understanding why he did what he did than he was on Saturday when he woke up on Troy's floor.

His sister completely ignored him. Every once in a while she'd give him a look of disgust before storming by him to her room.

And, as Ryan walked down the hallway after school to Chad's locker, for the first time in months, he felt nervous that his sister would never talk to him again. "She wouldn't do that," he told himself aloud, attracting stares. "She's your twin, she'll come to her senses."

"Troy! How could you?"

Ryan lifted his head from the tiles and saw Chad, his hands in the air, glaring at Troy, who seemed not to care. He reached into his locker and pulled out his coat as Chad paced the hallway. Ryan hid his face behind his math book so he wouldn't be seen, but he wondered by Chad wasn't at his own locker. Taking one look over the top of the book, Ryan knew he - along with the rest of the people in the hallway - would find out why the bushy haired boy was so upset.

"You used him!"

Troy shut his locker and turned. "Now, why on Earth would I do a thing like that?" he asked sarcastically.

Chad continued to glare at his friend. "To get to me," he growled.

Snorting with a cold laugh, Troy threw his backpack over his shoulder. "Ha! He was a lot more fun than you would have been, Danforth," Troy nearly whispered. Ryan inched forward to hear better. He knew from prior years that Chad and Troy only called each other by their last names when they were in an argument - like at the country club that summer.

"I bet he doesn't even know half the drinks you've put in your mouth exist," Chad hissed through his teeth.

Ryan frowned. Chad knew about Troy's drinking. If he knew and they were such good friends, wouldn't Chad have tried to stop him? Maybe Troy started when they got into the fight over the summer.

Troy smiled. "And, what's a better time to learn than the present."

"You are not going to manipulate him into your ways. I won't have it. He's a good kid, let him be a good kid."

Suddenly, it clicked. The 'he' they were taking about was himself. Chad was standing up for him. It made him smile behind the heavy, math book. But, he knew Troy was not going to like that.

Taking Chad's words in his own way, Troy nodded his head as if considering something. "Okay," he said after a minute. "I'll let him go, on one condition."

"Anything."

Troy's lips curled into a smile. "You come with me."

Ryan put the book down and walked toward the two. He couldn't have that. He wasn't going to make Chad go to that house to save him. He was a big boy, he could save himself. Letting Chad go with Troy wasn't going to help anyone.

"Hi, Ryan," Troy said cheerfully, turning away from Chad's shocked face.

His hands had gotten clammy and his breathing had quickened. His mind was telling him not to do this, but his heart was telling him that he needed to help Chad, who had helped him so many times before. "Chad doesn't need to go with you."

Troy's grin stretched from ear to ear and Ryan couldn't bear to look at Chad. Instead he let his eyes fall to the ground. "I'll go."

Looking like a small child on Christmas morning, Troy gave Ryan a pat on the shoulder. "Alright then. Tonight?"

Ryan's eyes widened. "But, it's a school night. I have homework!"

"Oh, does little Ryan have homework to do," Troy mocked. Rolling his eyes when Ryan didn't fight back, he said, "fine. Friday, same time, same place. Meet me at my house again, so you don't get lost."

He turned away from Ryan and looked to Chad. "The door will always be open for you," he muttered before walking down the hall away from them.

Ryan looked at Chad. The bushy haired boy looked up at Ryan with a glare. "You don't have to fight my battles for me, Evans."

Taking a step back, he was a little scared. He thought he'd been doing right by helping out. Ryan opened his mouth, but Chad cut him off. "Listen, I know how to handle Troy a whole lot better than you. I could have got us both off the hook." He turned and sneered over his shoulder. "Now we're both stuck."

* * *

**So, tell me what you think! This was sort of a filler...kind of...anyway...**

**Review!**


	12. 34 days before

**Alrighty, sorry about the wait. I've had homework and our internet was down. Hope you like it.

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**

**34 days before**

Ryan laid his head down on a pillow. This would be his third weekend out with Troy and he was beginning to get the hang of it. He tried to limit his drink consumption to a minimum - just enough to get Troy off his case. But he knew that he was starting to get like Troy. His body began to hope for the weekend to come, just so he could let the alcohol slide down his throat. And he'd learned that his excuses needed to change every week so this could happen. This week, he was going to Troy's with Chad and Zeke. Last week, he'd been at Jason's.

Of course, Sharpay knew it was a lie, Ryan was sure of it. She sent him dirty looks down the hallway when he walked passed her. They barely spoke, in fact, they only talked when they were forced to in Drama and Speech - and even then it was a challenge to get her mouth moving. He didn't pay that much attention to her anymore.

He rolled over and sighed, deciding on going to Troy's a little early so his parents wouldn't wonder why he was waiting such a long time before leaving. He pulled on his jacket and walked out of his room. The only person in the living room was Sharpay. She sent him a glare.

"Will you tell Mom and Dad I left?" he asked, not wanting to search the house for them.

She shrugged. Groaning, he walked out of the room and out the door. The walk to Troy's wasn't too bad. He stuck his hands in his pockets and slowly put one foot in front of the other. He let his thoughts wander, making himself not conscious of where he was going. Before long, he figured he would call Troy and warn him of his early arrival. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen. There was something written there.

1 new message.

He flipped open the phone and read the message. It was from Troy earlier that day.

_From: Troy_

_The park. 9:30. B there._

Ryan checked the time. He had about ten minutes. Turning around, he walked two blocks to the park. Since it was dark, no one was there and it was eerily quiet. The only sound was his shoes hitting the paved sidewalk. A few voices hit his ears, one very familiar. It was Troy, a Troy who was clearly not sober and hadn't been for a while. He turned to see the intoxicated boy on top of the playground, slightly wobbly, and was suddenly afraid that his friend would fall to the ground, breaking his neck, and making Ryan a witness.

Which would ultimately be a bad thing.

First off, his parents would find out about his weekly drink (or two). He'd be grounded for the rest of his life. Second, he'd get in trouble for underage drinking. Third, Troy would be dead and East High would be in shambles without their fearless leader. Yeah, he thought, definitely a bad thing if Troy fell.

As Ryan approached the playground, he noticed that he had indeed heard two voices. There was a hooded boy standing on the ground, looking up at Troy. In his hand, Ryan saw a bottle, but knew that the other boy wasn't drunk by the way he was standing. He took a sip from the bottle and threw it on the sidewalk. It was empty. "Come on, Troy. Get down."

Hearing the voice, Ryan felt his blood boil. The whole reason he'd been going with Troy was to keep him out of it! He knew the voice belonged to Chad. Immediately, he rushed to his friend and pushed him to the ground.

"Hey!" Chad shouted, his hood slipping off his crazy curls. Troy cheered from the playground, holding his own bottle in his hand. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with _me_?" Ryan had never felt this angry before in his life. What had Troy done to get Chad to come along. "What's wrong with _you_?"

It looked as if Chad didn't know what to say. Troy, however, couldn't keep his mouth shut. Incoherent slurs popped from his mouth before he begun laughing. Ryan turned toward him, now knowing that Troy was on his fourth or fifth bottle, as he could handle three fairly well. He took a long gulp from the bottle and threw it as far as he could. He leaned on a board and sent Ryan a smirk. "Look who I brought," he slurred, making Ryan cringe. If only Gabriella and the others could see him now.

Troy slid down the slide and laid on the wood chips. "Don't worry, Ry. Chad's fun after a few..." the boy said, connecting his words together.

At the mention of Chad's name, he turned to the boy he had pinned. He wasn't squirming. He just looked up, his brown eyes filled with guilt. "Troy said you weren't coming," he muttered. "I should have known it was a lie."

Ryan just looked at him, not sure whether this was a good enough excuse. "Explain," he hissed.

Chad's eyes looked at everything around him except Ryan. "Do you want to know why Troy wanted you to go drinking with him all the time?" Ryan shook his head, he already knew. Troy wanted a friend to drink with him. Chad continued. "He wanted to get to me."

Looking around, he saw Troy still flat on his back. He was chuckling at the stars and whispering to himself. "Why?" he said turning back.

"Because, I used to do this with Troy and then I tried to stop." He paused to gage Ryan's reaction and continued when Ryan didn't say anything. "I made friends with you to avoid Troy. I know, before you say anything, that I used you, but I'm sorry. You're a good guy and I'm sorry I pulled you into my problem."

Ryan frowned. The words were flooding into his mind so quickly. Avoid Troy. Used. Sorry. His head was spinning even though he had yet to put a bottle to his lips. Chad sighed under him and Ryan lifted himself. He felt hurt. He'd been used, not only by Chad, but by Troy as well. They had both used him to get to each other.

"Are you okay?" Chad asked, still on the ground.

But he was ignored. Ryan placed his hand to his head, unsure of what to do. Troy was laying on the ground, pointing at the sky and laughing like a maniac, the bottle set aside. Ryan strode over to him and did the only thing he could think of that would make the feelings he had subside.

He picked up the vodka, bringing it to his lips, knowing that both Chad and Troy had their eyes on him. One was watching with the guilt, believing that Ryan's action was his fault, the other held anger in his eyes, completely convinced that the bottle had his name on it and was not to be touched - let alone drunk - by anyone but himself.

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**So...tell me what you think!**

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	13. 23 days before

**Okay, this is short and a filler, but it's needed. I want to thank: dancerlittle and Pumpernickel Muffin for reviewing chapter 12!**

**Enjoy!

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**

**23 days before**

Ryan stared at the clock. They had a sub in English and their teacher hadn't left sub-plans, which meant the block was basically a study hall. With every tick of the clock, he began to get more anxious. It was Friday and once school ended, he was going to an alleyway downtown with Troy and Chad.

He knew it was an awful addiction he'd gotten himself into. Every night when he was sure his parents were sound asleep, he'd sneak into their secret cupboard and have a shot or two of liquor. But, that wasn't the worst of his problems.

Troy had decided that it was time for him to get high. He'd tried it two nights ago with Chad and Troy watching his every move. Now, he was addicted to that too. His body needed the drugs, just as it had needed the alcohol.

And, he knew he looked terrible. His eyes were bloodshot, his skin was pale.

"Ryan?"

He turned and sent Gabriella a smile. "Yeah?"

She took the seat beside him and looked at him was a serious expression. "Troy seems different to me. He never wants to do stuff with me anymore. Do you have any idea why?"

Ryan nearly began to laugh. Of course he did! But, he wasn't going to tell Gabriella what was going on with them. She wouldn't understand. She'd try to get them help because that's what her personality was.

So, instead, he lied. He'd become an expert liar. "No, sorry, Gabs. I'll ask him about it today."

Her face lit up. "Where are you going? Maybe I can tag al-"

"No!" he interrupted, not even wanting her to remember the sentence she had almost said. She looked hurt and he rolled his eyes. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just...you'd be board. We're just going to be playing video games."

"I like-"

"Gabriella," he moaned, wanting her to stop. "It's a guy's night."

She groaned. "It's always a guy's night!" she exclaimed. Then, turning around to get out of the seat, she paused. "I liked you better before you and Troy were thick as thieves."

He watched her go, feeling slightly hurt by her words. He thought he and Gabriella had a good friendship. Well, as good a friendship as they could have without her knowing his darker side. He sighed, she could never find out about that. It was be a disaster.

Looking away from her, he turned his attention to the clock. It was still ticking as slow as it had been. He stared up at it and bit his fingernails. The only class he had left was art. It seemed like an eternity before the bell finally rang and he moved into the hallway. It was lunch. He wandered into the cafeteria, finding his table easily.

Sharpay's glare was on him. He could feel her eyes on his back as she looked over the lower cafeteria. He turned to see her. Her eyes were narrow, glaring at him, before turning to sit by herself at the table that he had sat at last year.

"Ry!"

Chad and Troy came up on either side of him. "We're leaving now."

"Why?" he asked as they led him out of the gym.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Why not? Art's stupid anyway. We're cutting." He grinned at Ryan. "I forged us a note from my dad saying something about practices and labs, a whole lot of nothing. Chad gave a note saying he's got a doctor's appointment."

Chad smiled. "We're cutting, but no one will know."

Ryan nodded his head, understanding what the two had done. They'd used Troy's perfect forging skills to get them out of class. It was wonderful, he wouldn't have to be anxious any longer. Troy drove them to the alley and passed Ryan the drug he had gotten from Edgar earlier that day. Within moments, Ryan felt like he was flying.

* * *

**Okay, so...**

**Tell me what you think.**

**And happy holidays!**

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	14. 6 days before

**Okay, here's the next chapter. Hope you like it!**

**Thanks to:**

**hahaheeheehaha**

**Pumpernickel Muffin**

**dancerlittle**

**for reviewing Chapter 13.

* * *

**

**6 days before**

Ryan lifted the bottle to his lips, taking the last sip before throwing it at the wall. He leaned against the tree, letting his head rest against the bark of the truck. He was almost gone, he could tell. A few more drinks and he'd be unable to communicate. Troy and Chad were laying on the ground. They had only had a bottle each and were taking their time tonight.

He looked down at his friends. Troy was deep in thought while Chad appeared to be taking a nap. Troy reached across Chad, grabbing a beer bottle. He took a sip before looking at his friend. "Can you answer a question?"

"Yeah," Ryan answered groggily.

"There's a party on Thursday, you know, the one at Edgar Garrison's." Ryan nodded his head. He had met Edgar a few times, but it was mostly Troy who talked to him. "I really want to go," Troy continued.

"Then go."

Troy laughed and brought the bottle to his lips. "I'm not done yet. I have a game on Friday. If I go, I'll be out of it Friday and my dad will notice if I'm not there."

Letting the alcohol talk for him, Ryan answered, "follow your heart."

He heard a snort from the ground where Troy was laying and muttering. Ryan didn't care, instead he looked at the road. It was dead, not a single car had driven by in an hour. He let his eyes close and, no sooner than that, the screeching of tires on pavement hit his ears. He lifted one eyelid to see what was the matter and the other snapped open.

The convertible, pink with 'SE' on the hood, was stopped in front of them. A car door slammed shut and Sharpay came walking toward them. She walked to Troy and grabbed the bottle from his hands.

"Well," she whispered. "What would Coach Bolton do if he knew his two best players were out getting drunk and high every night?"

"Give it back, Evans," Troy hissed, sending her a glare that made Ryan happy he was no longer on the receiving end of.

But, as he figured, it didn't bother his sister. She just smirked and taunted the boy before chucking the bottle across the street, letting it hit the black pavement. Chad, who had woken from his slumber at the sound of the car door, looked over with a look of surprise on his face. Ryan shrugged, this was his sister, he knew all her strengths.

He tried to stand, but his body was wobbly. Sharpay turned her head to look at him before turning back to Troy. "Ryan, get in the car!" she said. "Oh, and don't think you two are going to get off so easily. What will East High do when they learn that their hero is nothing more than a high school druggie? Huh, Troy?"

"I'm not getting in the car," Ryan said quietly, but was not heard. Sharpay and Troy were in a fight that was not going to end well.

"The school is not going to find out about this," he yelled.

"They already know! Well, Gabriella's still oblivious, but everyone else knows. They just need evidence," Sharpay told him. "And, I think enough evidence will be your father sending you to rehab." She turned to Ryan. "I told you to get in the car."

"He's not getting in the car!" Troy yelled. Chad put his hand on his friend's arm, trying to keep his quiet, to remind him that there were people around in their homes. "He's staying with me," he whispered.

Sharpay shook her head. "No, he's not. Look at what you two did to him! My brother is not going to become an addict like you!"

Troy grinned. "Then you're little intervention is a few weeks too late."

Ryan walked to Troy, Chad and Sharpay and put his hand on Troy's shoulder, partly to keep himself steady. "You go to the party, I'll go with my sister," he said, only audible to Troy. Then, he turned to his sister. "Shar, if I go with you, you have to promise not to tell Coach Bolton about Troy and Chad."

Sharpay looked up at him with a smile, the first he'd seen on her in weeks. "Okay," she said, taking his hand and leading him to the convertible. She sat him the passenger's side seat before walking around to the driver's side. As she sped off, he looked back at Troy and Chad. The former had a smile of appreciation on his face. Then he turned to his sister.

"Why did you come after me? I thought you didn't care," he said, knowing his words were slurred together.

She stopped at a red light before looking over. "I'll always care. And I got sick of watching you throw your life away." She drove down the streets and into their driveway before looking at him once more. "You can still hang around them in school, but please don't drink. For me?"

He nodded his head and she smiled. "Well, if you're telling the truth, I think that Mom and Dad don't need to learn of your adventures. If you do start drinking again, I'll tell them."

They walked quietly through the house, trying not to awaken their parents. They got ready for bed and she shut his door. She was going to protect him. Once the door shut, Ryan rolled his eyes. He was going to the party at Edgar Garrison's. There was no way he could miss it. Now, he could rest easy because Sharpay would save his skin in the morning. He'd lay low, only take sips not getting drunk, and then he'd go to the party. He shut his eyes and let sleep over take him.

* * *

**Alrighty! I'd really like to know what you all are thinking out there.**

**So, tell me what you think!**

**Review!!**


	15. the day before

**Hey! This is the next chapter, leading up to the climax which is next chapter!**

**Thanks to:**

**Harmonious.Piccolo**

**Pumpernickel Muffin**

**Oliverwoodschic**

**dancerlittle**

**for the reviews!**

**Enjoy!

* * *

**

**the day before**

Ryan leaned his head against the wall. He couldn't take it any longer. Trying to stick to his contract with Sharpay was proving harder than her ever thought. He locked himself in his room when he wasn't at school because he knew if he tried to take only a sip, he'd end up getting drunk.

He bit his pillow. He threw things. His room was a complete mess, but it was working. His sister was believing that he was stopping for good. But his body was in desperate need of a drink.

There was a knock on his window and he looked down. Chad and Troy were standing outside his house with small rocks. "How you doing?" Chad asked.

Ryan groaned in response. He was doing terribly.

"Are you two going to the party?" Ryan asked, yelling down to them.

Troy nodded. "Yeah, are you going to sneak out and come?"

He sent the two a look that clearly told them that couldn't miss it. They grinned back before running off down the road. Ryan backed away from the window and laid on his bed. He needed a plan, a fool proof plan, if he was going to the party.

The party started at seven, but no one he knew was going until eight or nine. He'd lock his door and pretend to be asleep. It would be easy to convince his parents. Sharpay would be a different story.

"Sharpay, I need to sleep. I'm having a withdrawl," he muttered. "Nah. Sharpay, I need to be alone and away from the kitchen.

"Shar, I can smell their secret cupboard. I need to go before I break."

He nodded. A good sentence, a _really_ good sentence, would get him off the hook. He was a good actor - and he would only be partly acting, since he really was going to break and take a drink. He'd have to wait and make sure she wouldn't knock on his door and ask to see him before he left.

Groaning, he realized all the stupid mistakes he could make.

A soft banging came from his door. "Duckie, it's me."

He rolled his eyes at his mother's nickname for him. She insisted on calling him that, as she insisted on calling Sharpay 'kitten' since they were little kids. He lifted himself from his bed and unlocked the door. "Yeah, Mom," he said quietly.

"Duckie, being locked up in here is not good for you," she told him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he lied. "I'm just feeling a little sick."

She felt his forehead and sent him a sympathetic smile before turning her back. "I'll bring you some soup."

He shut the door and leaned against it. Sometimes, he felt that his mother needed lessons in parenting. She believed his every word. And, for the first time, he felt guilty about lying to his parents all those times. They had believed him when he said he was going to Zeke's or Jason's. They had no idea about what he did when he went to Troy's or Chad's.

"Serves them right," he whispered, throwing a stuffed dog across the room. "Dad's never home and Mom's too gullible for her own good."

He shut his eyes. He didn't need soup. What he needed was a shot of vodka and he was going to get it at Edgar's party.

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**Short, but as I said before, leading up to next chapter.**

**Tell me what you think**

**Review!!**


	16. the day of

**Hey! Sorry about the shortness of this chapter, but I think it works. Next chapter will be longer, I promise!**

**Thanks to:**

**hahaheeheehaha**

**Pumpernickel Muffin**

**Listen.To.Your.Heartx3**

**Harmonious.Piccolo**

**dancerlittle**

**for reviewing last chapter!**

**Enjoy!

* * *

**

**the day of**

He picked at his food while his parents and sister talked. He knew what he was going to do. His plan was set and timed perfectly, he just needed everything to go as planned. He felt Sharpay glance at him and he brought his fork to his mouth. His body was just as ready as his mind for the night ahead of him.

Ryan let his eyes wander to the cabinet that hid his parents's alcohol. He felt his stomach leap excitedly. He would be among friends having a nice drink or two...or five. It was going to be a great night and the best part about it would be that no one would know anything.

He hadn't thought about school the next morning, but decided that Troy had it all figured out. The basketball superstar knew everything he need to do to keep his teachers and father in the dark about his addiction. It was a skill Ryan desperately wanted to obtain by osmosis in all his days and nights of being with Troy.

Letting a fake yawn escape his mouth, he looked to his parents. "I had a rough day and I think I'm going to go to bed now."

"Already, Duckie?" his mother questioned. "Did you finish your homework?"

Ryan nodded and bid them each good night before exiting the room. As he climbed the stairs he heard his parents. He stopped and listened, aware that they were talking about him.

"He's been really tired lately," his mother said, probably to his father who had been away. "I'm starting to get worried. Kitten, has he been having trouble in school."

She wouldn't tell. Sharpay had told him that she wouldn't tell less than a week ago, but Ryan was suddenly very nervous. He told himself over and over that she wouldn't tell. She'll keep her word, he told himself mentally.

"No," came Sharpay's reply. Simple and true. Although Ryan's grades were dropping, he wasn't having a problem in school, as he was rarely ever there anymore.

He let his breath out before continuing up the stairs and into his room. All he had to do know was wait until...he smiled. The soft, familiar footsteps of his sister. She opened the door and sent him a look.

"Why did you leave?" she asked. Her eyes were blank and expressionless, as if she was trying to mask something from him. He shook it from his mind. It was time for him to act.

"It was getting to me, Shar," he said quietly. "I could practically smell their cabinet. I needed to get out, get away from the kitchen...or I would have snapped."

Her eyes softened and she sent him a sympathetic smile. "I'm going to go downstairs and tell them that you're feeling under the weather. I'll come check on you in a half an hour."

She walked to the door and Ryan sighed. He could wait a half an hour. As the door shut, he laid back onto his bed. There was a lump in his throat, but it wasn't from anticipation. He didn't know what, but he knew something was going to happen.

"Yeah," he muttered quietly, "I'm going to sneak out once Sharpay comes back."

He shut his eyes and took a few deep breaths. All he had to do was wait a half an hour for his sister and then he'd leave. He would just relax until then.

* * *

Sharpay walked up the stairs and knocked twice on her brother's door. When there was no answer, she pushed the door open and walked inside. Ryan was lost to his dreams, his face snuggled into the pillow, his toes hidden under a fleece blanket. 

She had been sure that he was going to sneak out and go to the party. That was the reason that she told him that she'd check on him. She knew he wouldn't leave if she was going to check later into the night. She'd forgotten about checking on him when she and her mother started to watch a movie and the only real reason she had come in was to see if he had left.

"Maybe he is changing," she whispered as she pulled the blanket over his sleeping form. Just to make sure he was asleep, she touched his eyelashes to see if there was a reaction. When there wasn't, she was convinced that he was truly in dream land.

A flash of blue light hit her eye and the vibrating noise of a cellphone hit her ear. She turned around before picking up Ryan's phone. It was past midnight. Who would call her brother this late? She lifted the phone and flipped it open. Gabriella's face popped up into view and she rolled her eyes before picking up and then immediately shutting the phone, hanging up. She could tolerate the Wildcats now, now that Ryan was friends with them, but there was still something about Gabriella...

She set it down on the side table and walked out of the room. She could hear sirens a few blocks over. Sighing, she opened her pink door and entered her room.

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**Okay, as I said, next chapter will be longer because it starts to lead things into a downward spiral.**

**Also, I know that it's Ryan centric, but I needed something in the Sharpay section and it would have been extremely boring to talk about Ryan sleeping. Also, it shows that she didn't fully trust her brother, which is important in the showing of her character.**

**Happy New Year everyone!!**

**Review!**


	17. the day after

**Okay. We had another snowday today, extending our lovely vacation, so I'm putting up the next chapter. As I said last chapter, this one _is_ longer, so I hope you enjoy it!**

**Also, thanks to:**

**_Oliverwoodschic_**

**_dancerlittle_**

**_Pumpernickel Muffin_**

**_hahaheeheehaha_**

**for reviewing "the day of."**

**This title really gets to me and makes me shiver a little, but here it is.

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**

**the day after**

Ryan opened his eyes and looked to the clock. He groaned, hearing his alarm going off, signaling the start of another school day. Sunlight was entering his room through his window. He stood and wandered to his closet. He wondered what Troy and Chad would say to him about missing the party when he told them he'd be there.

He pulled out a pair of jeans, a red t-shirt, and a sweatshirt to match and went across the hall to the bathroom. He turned the shower on and unclothed himself before walking in and letting the hot water soothe him. His plan for this morning hadn't included school, but since he hadn't gone to the party, what was the use of cutting. He didn't know where his friends would be, whether at Troy's, Chad's, laying on Edgar Garrison's floor, he knew that it would not be where he would find himself welcome.

He shut the water off and stood behind the curtain for a minute. Then he dried himself quickly and threw his clothes on. The mirror was all fogged up so he couldn't see. He brushed his teeth feeling as though it was the year prior when he was still Sharpay's pet, before he became friends with Troy.

Opening the door and letting the warm air out into the house, he exited the room slowly, not wanting to go to school. He stepped on the first step and he heard no conversation between his parents and sister, who were always awake and talkative in the morning - unlike Ryan who was usually very cranky. Instead, the news was on, as he recognized the voice of Channel 6's Alice Hans. She was a very perky and excited person who did the morning show and was often seen driving around the city in the small white van with Channel 6 News printed on the side in blue.

But, this morning her voice wasn't as happy as it was most mornings, which meant something awful happened. Alice Hans was the type of persons that had a ear to ear smile when a house caught fire, although she wasn't happy that a family was out of their home. That's just how she was, constantly happy all the time.

"...grief counselors will be on hand at the high school to answer anyone's questions. Also, tonight's basketball game between East High and West High will be postponed to another date after the winter break. Back to you in the studio, Bob."

Ryan frowned as he continued down the stairs. The East-West basketball game was always played the day before winter break. It was the biggest event in the city and the gym was usually packed. That was why Troy was debating on going to the party, because of this game. His father was going to be angry, but now he could play in it because it was postponed.

He walked into the kitchen as the meteorologist started to do the seven day forecast. Six eyes fell on him when he sat at the table. He looked to his parents unable to read their expressions and then turned slowly to his sister. The second his eyes locked with hers, he knew what Alice Hans had been talking about had not be about West High students. His parents left the room, leaving just him and Sharpay.

"Ryan," she said, sitting down next to him. "There was an accident."

He looked her in the eye, begging her to go on, hoping that she wouldn't say what he knew she was going to. She nodded her head before continuing. Knowing that he would want the facts, she said, "Troy died on impact."

Taking a deep breath, he turned his head to face the table. "What happened?"

"The truck skidded off the road," she whispered, unable to speak herself. "Chad was in the car too."

Ryan shook his head. "No," he breathed.

"He was unconscious and-"

"No."

"-he died at the hospital," she finished.

"No!" he yelled, standing up so fast his chair fell back. He sat on the ground, letting the tears fall from his eyes. This was too much for him. These were his friends. He should have been with them, maybe he could have stop them.

Sharpay cut off his thinking by placing a hand on his shoulder. "There was no alcohol in their systems, Ry," she said, looking at him with tears stinging her eyes. "They were speeding and ran a red light. They got hit. The party got shut down by cops after the accident."

Ryan shut his eyes. It didn't make any sense. Troy and Chad had been looking forward to the party for weeks. They loved drinking, possibly even more than basketball at this point. Why wouldn't they drink at the party they desperately wanted to attend.

And, then it hit him like a slap in the face.

They were waiting for him.

They knew that Sharpay was going to watch him like a hawk and they were going to break him out. Troy had told him earlier, when they were still in school, that they would get him to the party. They were going to make sure he got there.

"Don't worry, Ry," Troy had said in Art. "We have your back and we aren't going to start without you. We're the drinking musketeers, all for one and one for all."

He felt his stomach lurch into his throat. He was the reason they left the party. He was they were speeding. He was the reason they ran the red light. And he was the reason they got hit.

He stood and rushed to the sink, emptying to contents of his stomach before turning to Sharpay. "This is all my fault," he told her, putting his head in his hands. "This is all my fault."

"No, it's not," she said. "They probably decided that the party was lame and that they didn't want to risk their basketball careers for a few drinks. They were actually being kind of smart in a way."

Ryan just shook his head. "You don't understand," he hissed, before grabbing the keys to her convertible off the counter. He needed to get to school and talk to someone who would understand. He didn't know who that was, but he'd find someone and it wouldn't be his sister.

"Where are you going?" she shouted as he jumped in the car.

"School!" he yelled back.

She ran toward him and grabbed the keys right out of the ignition. "I don't think so," she barked in true Sharpay manner. "This is my car, I drive. Got it? Get in the passenger's seat, you can't drive anyway. You'd end up killing yourself or someone else."

The school was empty. A few freshmen lined the halls and some seniors who needed to see that what was happening was true. No one of importance to Ryan was there. Gabriella, Zeke, Jason, Taylor, Kelsi. All were missing from the hallways. It was just him and Sharpay, and a boy from his second block class, in the main hallway.

"That's it," he said, turning around. "I need to go home."

Sharpay didn't question him and for the first time in her life, she found herself following her brother.

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	18. 10 days after

**Wow. Long time no post. I know, I'm sorry, but I having gotten a chance to sit down and write because we have finals this week and two big papers were due today. So I sat down after school today to post. Hope you like it!**

**Thanks to: hahaheeheehaha, tamzinrose, Pumpernickel Muffin, MusicalGirl14192, Oliverwoodschic, coldplayrocks, dancerlittle, musicfreak1107.

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**10 days after**

Ryan sat with his hands folded neatly in his lap. His sister was on one side of him and Gabriella on the other as they sat in a pew at a church Ryan had never been to. He had tuned out the world for the week that had passed, letting it go by as if he were watching a movie. It hadn't hit him. He was convinced that they would jump out from stairs in school yelling, "you've just been punk'd!"

But, his fantasy had to end at some point and that moment had been the day before when he'd walked into funeral home and looked down at the body inside.

His eyes wandered to the front of the room where Chad's parents were sitting with his two younger sisters. Mrs. Bolton was sitting beside Mrs. Danforth, both crying heavily into their hands. Coach Bolton was no where in sight and hadn't been since Friday night, the day of Troy's wake and funeral.

It was probably hard enough for him to realize that it was his son that was dead, let alone adding the fact that Chad - who, from what Ryan knew, was like the Bolton's second son - was gone as well.

The preacher was speaking loudly, but he couldn't hear a word. His eyes were focused on the sleek black casket. Two large wreathes of flowers were on either side and his white basketball jersey was draped over the wood. There was a collage of pictures, ranging from his first birthday to recent basketball games. A large picture was in the middle, looking like something you'd find on MySpace or Facebook. Chad was looking up at the camera, his lips in a pouty smile, his fingers making a sideways peace sign, his eyes crossed, showing Chad's eccentric personality. Nothing about setting would indicate anything about his second life.

The life that Ryan was part of.

Looking up at the coffin, he began to realize that he had only known one side of Chad. He'd known the party loving, drunken, stoned Chad, while the rest of the room had known him as compassionate, funny, 'life is basketball' kid.

He felt his hand receive a tight squeeze and he turned to Sharpay. Her eyes were looking at the front of the room and he followed them there. The sight made his stomach clench. Two girls were walking to the front of the room. One must have been twelve, thirteen at the most, and the other no more that six. The younger girl was exactly like Chad, from the curls of her hair to the way that she walked. He let his eyes fall as Chad's youngest sister placed her pink teddy bear in the coffin before stepping back and grabbing her sister's hand.

Troy's funeral hadn't been this painful. Ryan remembered that his parents had opted out of a large service, only having a small family and friends service at the funeral home where the wake had been held. The burial had been exclusively private with just Jason, Zeke, and Gabriella invited. The Boltons had their son's face hidden by the cover of the casket, so it hadn't been as intimate as it would have been, had he been given the chance to look into Troy's cold, pale face.

Chad's family, on the other hand, had given an extended invitation to anyone who wished to grieve with them over the loss of their son. The service was long, allowing anyone to speak, and the burial, which would be later that day, was open to all.

Maybe it was because Troy was the Boltons's only child, but then again, Chad was the Danforths's only son. He would never know.

Gabriella took the hand that Sharpay wasn't holding and he felt his stomach do a small flip. His eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets as he glared at his abdomen, pretending that he was unable to look up. This wasn't supposed to be happening. Gabriella was Troy's girlfriend. Troy, who was dead and cold in the ground, had been Gabriella's first love. That made her somewhat like a widow, he thought, groaning in his head. He had picked the perfect time to fall for the brunette beauty.

The service concluded and the people stood. Many rushed to the Danforths to acknowledge their loss. Ryan looked up at the man who spoke, who was Rev. Michael Johnson if he remembered from the sign correctly. The reverend was standing in front of the casket. He ran a dark hand over his bald head, looking much older than he probably was. 'He never would have thought he'd oversee Chad's funeral,' Ryan though, assuming Chad had known him for a while, him being the head of his church. But, he didn't really know. He'd never been to church before.

He walked down the aisle on his way to the casket, but soon became side tracked. He looked walked inside one of the pews were the two Danforth sisters were sitting, too mature for their ages. He stood in front of him and smiled at them. "Hi," he said.

They looked up and the older one looked down, knowing in her head that he was just going to say what everyone had been saying to her. The younger one kept her eyes on him, expecting him to speak.

"I knew your brother," he said, sitting beside them.

"You knew Chad?" the six-year-old replied, wide eyed with fascination at the boy she had never met.

He nodded. "Are you Gracie?" she nodded. "He talked a lot about you. You and your sister both," he added, trying to get the other to face him. He eyes stayed locked on the ground, so he continued to talk to Gracie. "Your brother was a great guy, remember that. He'll always be with you."

She smiled through tear-flooded eyes. "He'll always be with you too," she said.

His face faltered and he quickly excused himself from the pew, leaving the church all together. What she had said had been so sweet, so youthful, but he had to remind himself that he was the reason she was missing her brother. Chad and Troy had been racing to pick him up.

"Ryan?"

He turned and Gabriella's face filled his vision. She walked down the steps in her black heels and stood beside him. "This is not your fault," she told him, as if reading his mind. "They were being stupid, just as they always were."

He just shook his head. Her arms wrapped around him in comfort, but he found himself enjoying it, even if he felt as if Troy had come back from the dead and was stabbing his back with a steak knife a thousand times for touching his girlfriend.

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	19. 33 days after

**Okay, this is a short one - a really short one, but...hope you enjoy!!**

**33 days after

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Ryan looked into his mirror. A month had passed and he still felt as if he was to blame. The rest of the school had seemed to move on, taking in the latest scandal plagued East High's halls. But, he couldn't force his body into something it wouldn't accept. It was his fault that they were dead. He'd tried convincing himself otherwise, saying that they would have done something stupid later down the road, but it never helped.

What made it worse was that the principal, Mr. Matsui, had announced the arrival of Mr. Bolton's permanent replacement. The Bolton house had been for sale all of two seconds before it was sold. Even then, no one had lived it in for a few weeks. After Coach Bolton's disappearing act, his wife soon followed, apparently both of them wanted to get as far away from the city that stole their son as they could.

The Danforths, on the other hand, were as active in the community as ever. Mr. Danforth volunteered to coach the basketball team in the regular coach's absence as they had made it to the playoffs. Mrs. Danforth was still head of the PTA and helped in tutoring. If anything, the Danforth parents were more active than before, wanting to insure that no other child suffered the same end as their son.

"They don't know the half of it," Ryan muttered to the mirror.

He was miserable, feeling a burden on his shoulders that no one else had. No one knew, or at least wanted to talk about, the agonizing tales of Troy and Chad's drunken adventures. And, if he had to answer truthfully, Ryan didn't want to be the one to tell the Danforths about it either. Instead, they lived in ignorance.

As did Gabriella. Seemingly one of the only members of the East High senior class that had no idea. Ryan had wanted to tell her, so many times, but couldn't open his mouth. He was afraid that he'd lose his only friend. Zeke and Jason abandoned him, never having taken a liking to him in the first place, but Gabriella was there, and so was Sharpay.

He reached out with his hand and touched his face. All he ever did was talk to Gabriella. He had long since lost the guilt that came with her being Troy's girlfriend, realizing that there was nothing Troy could do. Plus, he often reasoned with himself, he wanted to keep her happy.

The familiar sound of his phone hit his ears and he looked at the screen. _Gabriella_. He felt himself smile. "Hello?"

"Hi!" came her cheerful reply. "You ready for school?"

"Yeah, I was just about to come pick you up."

He could practically hear her smile over the phone and he gave a chuckle. "Okay," she replied after a minute. "I'll see you soon! Bye!"

He set the phone down. One good thing about his relationship with Gabriella was, since he was always with her (and when he wasn't, he was at home with Sharpay breathing down his neck), he didn't drink. He didn't tell her anything about the drugs, about the alcohol, which was a good thing. It had been hard at first, but in the month, he had stopped having midnight drinks. It was his own type of rehab.

Glaring at the mirror he stood and grabbed his coat off the back of the chair. He walked slowly down the stairs and into the front yard where he strode passed Sharpay's bright pink convertible and continued down the street. He and Gabriella met halfway between their houses and walked to school.

He saw her coming toward him and he smiled. When she was standing beside him, she placed her hand in his. He looked off to the side. He needed Gabriella to get through, but maybe Gabriella needed him as well.

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**Yeah, not my favorite. It's just a filler chapter.**

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	20. Graduation

**Alright, sorry about the wait. I've been busy with homework and sick, so it's kinda short...**

**Hope you like this.

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**Graduation.**

Ryan felt the pit in his stomach grow. He knew that he'd let the facade go on too long, but there was no way he could stop it. It was becoming an angry monster, one that at times he even believed to be true. But now, months after the accident, he needed to tell her. She needed to know the truth.

Gabriella was so sweet and innocent, but also very naive and oblivious. Their relationship, if he could even call it that, had gone no where. Every time he was with her, he felt guilty. He felt as if she was Troy's, even though she didn't belong to anyone. She was his best friend and he was about to ruin it. He knew what he was going to tell he was going to ruin it.

So, he sat down on the stage in his red graduation gown, holding his cap in his hands. He watched as all his classmates were greeted and congratulated by friends and family. And, as badly as he wanted to keep up his happy mask, he needed to let out the guilt that plagued him now, as this could possibly be his last chance.

"Hey, Ryan!" Zeke yelled, as he walked by with Jason. He had never been as close to the two as he had wanted to be. They seemed to be the normal ones in their friendship with Chad and Troy. But, the two stuck together and had never warmed to him.

The continued to walk away from him and he tossed his cap into a chair that was in front of him. He felt someone sit beside him and smiled, not needing to look up to know she was there.

"Gabriella," he whispered. "I need you to listen. Don't interrupt."

She nodded and put her hand on his knee, encouraging him to go on. He looked up into her dark eyes and sighed. "I killed Troy and Chad."

She looked at him with confusion. "You didn't and you know that. They got in a car accident, you remember-"

"No," he said forcefully. "There is a lot that you don't know about Troy and Chad," he looked away, "and me."

Then, he let it loose. All of his feelings of hurt and guilt were spread out before him. He told her of everything. Of Troy and Chad's fighting, of how he became friends with them. He gave a long rant about the alcohol, the drugs, the long nights partying. And finally, the night that killed the two best and worst people that affected his life.

"They were coming back to get me," he muttered, staring at his hands as if they were covered in the red blood of his friends. "I couldn't get out, so they were coming to help me sneak out. I understand if you think of me differently."

She was quiet, her eyes filling with tears. "Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered, her voice betraying her emotions.

Ryan shrugged. "Troy didn't want you to know."

Her face changed in that one instant, with that one sentence. She glared at him. "Troy was dead, Ryan," she exclaimed, staring at him with disbelief while tears began to fall down her cheeks. "So, you continued to go around following Troy's orders like a puppy. I had a right to know, Ryan! I thought you were different. I thought you were better than all those zombies," she waved her arm to motion to their classmates, "that followed him around. I guess I was wrong."

She stood up and straightened her white gown. "Goodbye, Ryan," she told him quietly before running as fast as she could toward that crowd that was exiting the auditorium.

For an hour, Ryan sat on the stage with his head in his hands. He knew that everyone was off having the time of their lives at graduation parties. He stood, grabbing his graduation cap off the chair in front of him and walked out, ready for college. He wanted to get out of Albuquerque. He needed to get away. No one would miss him.

He'd start a new life, far away from the city that had left such a void in his heart. It was his fault that he'd gotten involved, but it all seemed good at the beginning. Now, he was left with what he had started with: his overly dramatic sister, his slightly off mother, and his never there father.

He stopped at the entrance of the auditorium and stared back at the stage. Then, he stuffed his graduation cap in the trash and left. Taking out his cellphone, he dialed a few numbers.

"Yes, this is Ryan Evans. I was wondering if you could have my father's helicopter ready to go in an hour...no, no special occasion, I just need to visit California for a bit, see where my college is. Yes, thank you."

He walked down the road to his home, the phone still up to his ear although he had hung up a long time before. He opened the door, packed a small bag with essentials, and left a note for his family. It read: Took the helicopter out, I'll be back soon. Ryan.

Grabbing Sharpay's keys off the counter, he ran out to the bright pink convertible and sat inside. He threw his cellphone at the garage door before peeling out of the driveway and speeding the entire way to Lava Springs Country Club, where the helicopter was ready and waiting for his arrival.

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**Yeah, it might seem a little rushed, but...**

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	21. Epilogue

**Alrighty, I know it's been a long time, but I got sidetracked. Sorry about the long wait. I've been watching another show and got hook, so I stopped writing this for a while. Hope you like this, it's the last chapter.

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**Epilogue**

A man in his early thirties stepped through the bright red doors of East High School. He hadn't been there in years and seeing that it hadn't changed brought tears to his eyes. So many of his memories had happened in the very hallways in which he stepped so many years ago. He paused momentarily in the lobby before noticing something on the wall that hadn't been there when he was a student.

A plaque.

He skimmed it over, realizing that it basically summarized the end of his senior year. Telling of how two basketball stars had been killed in a car crash. But, that wasn't all of it. He had been involved and he wasn't a basketball player.

No, Ryan Evans was definitely not a basketball player. In senior year he had been on the outside of the in crowd, but it had all been worth it. He figured he could have been his sister's shadow or Troy and Chad's. While he had thought he had been having the time of his life, he hadn't realized what he had been living like and losing the two people he thought were his best friends had helped him in so many ways.

He went to California and called his parents upon his arrival. He would stay there and go to school, needing to get away. It had worked, he could get away from everything and forget. But the past always came back to bite you.

And for him, it came back in the form of Gabriella Montez. It had been about three months prior and he was alone, trying to expand his business. She was a successful scientist with a family of her own. It had been small chit chat, but it was what he needed to send him home to Albuquerque.

Apparently, something had hit Coach Bolton's heart too, because the coach that left upon the death of his son had come back as well. The season was turning out to be everything that had been expected that year, his senior year, and more.

The buzzer sounded and Ryan looked up. The wildcats had come to victory. With a smile on his face, he exited the gym with the mass crowd that included many of his former classmates. He had even said hello to Zeke, who held a toddler on his shoulders. He reached his car and sat down in the driver's seat, placing his hands on the wheel.

"Room for one more?"

He looked up to see Sharpay standing beside the car. He nodded and she hopped in. "Didn't know you were coming back," she said, pleasure in her voice.

He nodded. "Good. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Welcome back, Bro," she told him before flipping on the radio station as they drove down the road.

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**Again, sorry about the abrupt end to this.**

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